Comparison: The Three Different Types Of Volcanoes

This week I learned about the three different types of volcanoes and the types of volcanic hazards associated with each type of volcano. This information is important to me because now I understand the hazards associated with living in certain parts of the country that have volcanoes. I understand that the volcanoes found in Hawaii (Shield volcanoes) erupt differently and pose different dangers than the volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain Range (Composite volcanoes). Since I live in Portland, Oregon I was very interested in learning about the hazards involved with Composite volcanoes. Composite volcanoes can create deadly mud and debris flows called lahars which travel down the mountain and can destroy and bury everything in its path. Unlike …show more content…
Pyroclastic flows destroy everything in its path. It is important to know all of the volcanic hazards associated with a specific area so that you know how to evacuate and also so you know where not to be if a volcano erupts. As with all natural disasters ignorance can be deadly. I would like to learn more about the volcanic risk associated with living in or close to the Cascade Mountain Range. The Cascade Mountain Range was created by the subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate underneath the North American plate thus they are lined with Composite volcanoes which have the potential to create explosive eruptions. We mainly only hear about Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainer when we discuss dangerous volcanoes, but I would like to know if there are other volcanic hazards in the Cascade Mountain Range. I could find this information by doing research on the internet and by asking locals if they know of any volcanic hazards that many tourists may be unaware of. This could give me information that I could use to evaluate the risk for specific cities in the Cascade Mountain